Expecting
by rosexknight
Summary: Anon prompted: Another! Verse: Is there ever a child? Colette visits the Dark Castle. Belle has a talk with her. Rumpelstiltskin runs. Colette stands up to The Dark One


Expecting

By: RosexKnight

_Anon prompted: Another! Verse: Is there ever a child?_

One, two, three…

No.

One, two, three…

Belle sat by the fireplace, her book open in her lap, counting her days. She was late. Oh she'd been late before. The doctor in her family's castle said it was stress related. When the Ogres started their advances she was lucky if she was regular two months in a row. When she had left her family to be with Rumpelstiltskin she had been late the first month as well. However, those times it did not come with nausea every morning or afternoon. She did not feel the need to cry at every tragedy her husband reported or tender gesture she gave her. And most importantly, she had been a maiden.

Now, however, she was a married woman. To a husband whose appetite was as incasiable as her own.

"Belle? Are you in here?"

Belle slammed her book shut in a start, hiding the piece of paper she'd been using to keep track of her days in it. Because she wasn't ready to tell him at all. Not when she didn't know for sure yet.

Her husband appeared moments later, a tray of tea and different sweets in his hands. She smiled at him as she moved to the table where he was already pulling out a chair for her.

His hands fluttered around her for a moment before she sat down. "Are you feeling better? This morning you looked so pale…"

"I am." She said truthfully, and saw him relax as she sat down. "Any news of mother?"

"She'll be here soon. Tonight most likely."

"She sounded very eager to visit in her last letter." Belle said, sipping her sweet tea and nibbling on the pastry. Both were still warm, and I made her giggle to think of her husband in the kitchen making her pastries and tea.

"Yes she was." Rumple muttered as he nibbled on the honey-covered pastry he'd chosen. "Let's just hope she doesn't cause too much trouble."

Once again, Belle giggled. Her husband had spent the days since the small bird had delivered the letter saying her mother was on her way scouring the great hall, kitchen, bedroom, library, and every other room her mother could enter to put away any item he deemed "too dangerous." Apparently the spinner wanted her mother poking around the castle even less than he'd wanted her the first few days she'd spent with him.

"Mother has promised me that she will be on her best behavior." Belle reported, sitting up straight and grinning at The Dark One over her teacup.

Rumpelstiltskin did not look convinced, but he didn't say anything more about it either. Belle opened her mouth to say something else when her husband's head shot up. She tilted hers. "Rum?"

"Early." He said with a quirk of a grin. He stood. "Come on, my treasure, let's go greet your mother."

Belle hopped up happily, looping her arm with Rumpelstiltskin's as they made their way to the front door. Colette's carriage had just pulled up to the castle's doors, and her mother beamed when she saw her daughter.

"Belle!" She called as she brushed past the footman offering to help her out of the carriage. She dashed forward, embracing her daughter tightly. "Oh it's so good to see you."

"You too, mother." Belle said, feeling suddenly more at-ease about everything in her mother's arms.

Colette released her, turning to The Dark One and giving him a small curtsy. "Rumpelstiltskin."

"Colette." He said, his tone rather short but not impolite. "I trust your journey was comfortable?"

"The smoothest I've ever had. Was that your doing?"

"Perhaps."

"Well thank you."

"Come, mother." Belle said excitedly, "I'll show you the castle. You must see the library!"

"Don't go poking around in places you shouldn't." Rumpelstiltskin said, turning towards the castle's open doors with them. "If you poke magic it might poke back."

"We won't, Rumple." Belle said affectionately, stepping forward to give him a quick kiss. "See you for dinner?"

A grin appeared on his face and he pulled her closer, giving his wife a proper kiss, one that would normally never be proper in front of a mother. But it was Colette, and he knew she didn't care. When he pulled away, Belle was blushing, giving him a playful disapproving look.

"I wouldn't miss it."

With a roll of her eyes, Colette followed her daughter into the castle. Her eyes wandered over the interior. Tapestries hung on the wall. Plush carpet sat under tables and chairs. Items were everywhere on display, strewn this way and that. She tried to take it all in.

"It's so grand…" Colette said. "Surely it's not only the two of you?"

Belle smiled as her mother gawked at the great hall. It looked so much different than the time The Dark One had summoned her there. Brighter. The curtains were open, there was a rose in the middle of the table, beside a teaset with a chipped cup. Colette ran her finger over it as Belle moved to a chair beside the fireplace to retrieve a book. Why would The Dark One keep a chipped cup?

"The townspeople visit with gifts sometimes. And people come to make deals. But yes, it is just us." Belle ran her hand over the wooden table as if she had done it all her life. "I think that's why he wanted me here in the first place. He won't admit it, but he was lonely."

For a moment, Colette couldn't speak, struck by just how natural her daughter looked standing there, in the Dark Castle's great hall, wearing a violet dress with elegant gold threading and designs. She wondered if she was looking at her daughter at all. She didn't look like Belle, she looked like the wife of Rumpelstiltskin, and Colette supposed that was accurate. After all it looked almost as if Belle was simply meant to be there.

Like the chipped cup in the teaset.

Oh.

"You're not meant to clean it all are you?"

They were moving again, Belle leading her down a side hallway in the direction Colette could only assume the library was.

"Not anymore. Though I suppose I never was. You'd be surprised how therapudical it is. I do it to pass the time, mostly. Cooking, sweeping, dusting his collection…"

"Ah yes his collection. Seems a bit…scarcer than I'd seen before."

"Yes well," She giggled. "He didn't want you poking about in something he didn't want you to."

Colette laughed as they started up a staircase. "He doesn't like me very much does he?"

"I think he does." Belle objected. "He's simply not used to our boldness. Drives him a little crazy. He doesn't always know how to show affection. But he means well."

"I suppose."

They reached the top of the stairs, in the library now. Colette froze, a gasp on her lips as she marveled at the library. It was the biggest she'd ever seen. Books stretched all around them, in the middle of the room a table piled with a few more books and two plush chairs. Belle only giggled.

"I reacted the same way." She said.

"How do you get anything done?" Colette asked. "I'd never be able to leave."

"Rumpelstiltskin can be very…persuasive."

"Ah. Yes. Of course. There is the matter of that." Colette looked at Belle seriously, examining her daughter. "You look a little pale. Are you unwell?"

Belle shook her head. "No I'm fine."

"He feeds you?" Colette was still looking her over, trying to get a good look at her daughter while she could. "Keeps you warm? He is not cruel in your bed?"

"Mother!" Belle objected, blushing furiously. "Rumpelstiltskin is a model husbad!"

Colette smiled gently. "A mother worries, dear. Still, you're pale. What's wrong?"

Belle bit her lip, producing the parchment that she'd been using to count her days the way her mother taught her. Colette understood immediately, taking it from her daughter. Her eyes wasted no time in peering over the piece of paper, counting the days in her head. She'd counted them the third time and glanced up at Belle, who stood before her, fidgeting nervously. Colette swallowed.

"You've been sick?" She asked gently, putting the paper back in its book.

"Yes. In the mornings. And sometimes afternoon. Almost never at night." Belle said.

"And pain?"

"Yes. Like when it's my normal moontime. Sometimes worse."

"Cravings?"

"Only sweet things. Nothing too out of the ordinary."

"Your emotions?"

Belle shook her head. "I've been very out of sorts and emotional."

"And you're late."

"By almost three weeks now, yes."

"Well..." Colette stood, taking her daughter's hands in hers. No tears. Not right now. Even if they were happy but she needed to be strong. "I'm no official midwife, but from what I can see, you are indeed with child, my petal."

A myriad of emotions flickered over Belle's face, but finally a sort of uneasy happiness before her knees buckled and she fell back into a chair. Had that been there the entire time? Surely it had been in the corner of the room before. It didn't matter. Because now Belle was crying and Colette was unsure if the tears that fell were happy or sad.

"Belle..." She was kneeling beside her, hugging her daughter in an instant. "I know. It's a lot to take in. But it'll be alright. We'll find a midwife in town to take a proper look at you. And with Rumpelstiltskin's magic I'm sure the delivery will be rather easy."

Belle shook her head. "I can't. I don't know how to tell him. He..." A swallow. "He had a son before but..."

Colette put a hand on her arm, stroking it smoothly. "Shhh...easy my petal." She soothed. She had to be strong. She couldn't show her fear or worry. "I understand. But listen to me. He's your husband. He loves you, truly. The most powerful sorcerer in all of the realms loves you. Things will work out. No tears."

Belle blinked, coming to get senses. Her mother was right, of course. She usually was anyway. Of course Rumpelstiltskin would understand. It was his child, after all. Of course he'd make the birth easy for her. Her breaths evened out, and she smiled at Colette.

"Thank you, mother." She said, "I'm sorry I'm a mess."

"Nonsense! You're beautiful! And soon you'll be glowing." Colette couldn't help the tears now as she framed her daughter's face with her palms. "I'm so proud of you, Belle."

Belle's smile faded, the remaining tears falling anew. "I'm frightened though. So, so frightened..."

The woman opened her mouth to speak again, but the words died in her throat.

"Well, well. Good to see the Library is still in one piece."

Rumpelstiltskin's voice echoed through the stairwell as he entered the library. Colette glanced to Belle, her face paying as her husband came into view, carrying a tea tray set for three.

"Seems my worries of the two of you tearing it apart was nothing but a—" He cut himself short, his eyes falling on Belle. Her eyes were red and a few stray tears were still on her cheeks.

In an instant the tray he was carrying was gone, re-appearing on the table near Colette in a swirl of purple magic. He stepped forward, hands fluttering awkwardly, unsure of where to go. He glanced to Colette, as if asking for help and chastising her for letting his wife cry in her care.

Finally his hands settled, one on her shoulder and one on her cheek to wipe away a tear. "What happened? Belle my treasure what's wrong?"

If she'd asked for the moon he would have given it to her, Colette realized. But Belle only swallowed, shaking her head. This wasn't how she'd wanted it to happen. Not how she wanted to tell him. Not a crying mess in the library. With a breath she stood, taking his hands in hers and looking into his eyes, almost a plea for him to...to still love her after.

"Rumple." She started gently. "I was going over some things with mother. About how I've been sick and out of sorts lately?" Rumpelstiltskin managed a small not. "I'm…pregnant. I'm with child. Your child."

The words sank in slowly. There was a pause, then a flicker of understanding behind his eyes. Fear was next as his chest heaved with a shaky inhale. His hands didn't move from hers, but they didn't tighten either. He'd gone still. Inhumanly so. He didn't even blink until Belle spoke again, her voice tighter yet so much more desperate.

"Rumple...Say something."

He opened his mouth, but his mind was racing too fast for words to come out. He only shook his head.

"I need a moment." He managed, the words coming out in a choke.

And then he was backing away and going down the stairs, almost fleeing and leaving the two there, alone again. Colette was at her daughter in an instant. Belle's eye were watery and unfocused, and she embraced her daughter. He'd ran. He'd dropped her and ran. Just like Belle was so afraid that he'd do.

"Don't worry." Colette soothed, settling her daughter back in the chair he'd been in. "Your father did the same thing when I told him I was with you. As I said, it's a lot to take in." She handed Belle a book, and she blinked suddenly, taking it with shaking hands. "You stay here. Read. You must not stress yourself out. I'll talk to him."

Belle nodded. "Right…Yes mother."

Colette move away, giving her daughter a small, hopefully encouraging smile. "Don't worry my petal. He might look like a monster but it seems he has the heart of a man."

"He does…"

"Then a man he is. And a man we can handle."

Without another word Colette started down the stairs, leaving Belle to her reading. All sadness had evaporated the moment Rumpelstiltskin had backed away. She was not having this.

"What is wrong with you?!" Colette demanded, storming into the great hall.

Rumpelstiltskin was simply standing at his spinning wheel. He was motionless, not even flinching when Colette shouted.

"Belle is with child." She continued, unfazed by his motionlessness and dumbfounded look. "With YOUR child! And the first thing you do when you hear is this? Flee to your bloody spinning wheel?!"

He didn't move save for a glance back at her. Colette frowned. "Are you not happy?"

"I..." He started, his words sounding forced. A struggle to get out. "I'm not unhappy."

"And you want a family with my daughter?"

"Yes…"

"Then what could possibly be the problem?! Why cause Belle this needless distress when—"

"Because I lost my son."

Colette found herself frozen in place. Something in his voice made her legs fight with her to stay upright. Torture. That's what it was. His voice came out tortured and the woman wasn't sure if she should rush forward to comfort him or rush back to seek shelter. She decided to stay where she was.

"You had..."

Rumpelstiltskin cut her off with sort curt words. "A son. Yes. And I lost him because I was a coward. But I'm going to find him. It's just more than a lifetime's work."

"And you don't want distractions?" Colette ventured. "Such as a child with my daughter."

"No! No it's not like that."

"Then what IS it like, Rumpelstiltskin? I don't understand. You are married. This is what husband and wives do. And Belle—"

"Belle is the problem."

"How dare you—?!"

"I can't lose her too!"

He'd whirled around, taken her by the shoulders and shaken her a bit, and the look in his normally inhuman eyes was that of undeniable fear. The imp spoke fast, not bothering to hide the hysterics in his voice as he let her go as suddenly as he'd grabbed her.

"My first wife left me and my boy. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn't fight. Because I should have died. And now I'm a coward and a monster. And what's growing inside Belle may be a monster too. And—"

His words were cut off by the sound of a slap and the stinging of his cheek. Even through his scale-like skin her hand stung him. Yes. Colette was definitely where Belle got her fire.

"You are The Dark One." Colette snapped. "You might be a coward but you are no monster. My daughter would not have fallen in love with a monster. Now. She is still in the library trying to hold herself together. You, Rumpelstiltskin, are going to go to her and take her in your arms and hold her and tell her you love her and that it will be okay."

The spinner hesitated, then nodded. He ran out, seeming to realize the weight of what exactly he'd done. There was no telling what Belle was thinking because of his actions. He was done running now though, unless it was to her.

Colette watched him go, a triumphant grin on her lips. After a moment she moved, headed to the kitchen. Belle was craving sweet things, and the idea of making The Dark One wrinkle his nose at the sight of the grey stuff again was too appealing.


End file.
